KR20060047768A - Exposure apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a product of uniform quality by precisely aligning the band-shaped substrate and the photomask by eliminating the damage caused by the band-shaped substrate bending downward due to its own weight at the time of exposure.

An exposure apparatus exposes the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 for every predetermined length area | region conveying intermittently along the longitudinal direction. The flexible strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 which has the exposure surface with a photosensitive material moves between the supply reel 14 and the wind reel 15 by the drive apparatus 19. As shown in FIG. Between the supply reel 14 and the wind reel 15, a vertical path is formed in which the strip-shaped substrate 1 forms a vertical state. An exposure part is provided in the vertical path. The exposed portion includes photomasks 21 and 22. The patterns drawn on the photomasks 21 and 22 are transferred to the exposure surface of the strip-shaped substrate 1 by the light from the light source.

Description

Exposure equipment {EXPOSURE APPARATUS}

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing one embodiment of an exposure apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the relative position of the band-shaped substrate and the photomask which are vertical in the exposure portion, as seen from the arrow A direction of Fig. 1;

           Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Band-shaped board | substrate 3: Frame for photomask

4 sealing member 5 moving mechanism

6: base plate 7: CCD camera

8: moving mechanism 9: moving mechanism

10: parallel light 11: reflector

12: cylinder 13: cylinder

14: reel for supply 15: wind reel

16: guide roller 17: guide roller

18: base 19: feed drive roller

20: workbench 21: photomask

22: photomask 23: mark for alignment of the photomask

24: Mark for position alignment of strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 25: Area to expose

26 housing 27 guide roller

28: guide roller 29: guide roller

30: guide roller 31: reflector

U1: Photomask Unit U2: Photomask Unit

P: pitch

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern drawn on a photomask to a substrate by irradiating light onto the substrate through a photomask, and more particularly, for exposing a flexible strip substrate having a photosensitive material thereon. It relates to an exposure apparatus.

An intermittent strip-shaped substrate is intermittently along its longitudinal direction between a supply reel in which a flexible strip-shaped substrate is wound in a cylindrical shape and a wind reel in which the strip-shaped substrate is wound in a cylindrical shape. Background Art An exposure apparatus for exposing the band-shaped substrate for each region of a predetermined length while transferring to the substrate is well known. On at least one surface of the strip-shaped substrate, an exposure surface with a photosensitive material is formed. By irradiating light to the exposed surface through the photomask, a pattern drawn on the photomask, for example an electric circuit, is transferred onto the substrate. In such a conventional exposure apparatus, a strip | belt-shaped board | substrate was exposed in the horizontal state.

In the above-described conventional exposure apparatus, the band-shaped substrate in the horizontal state tends to bend downward due to its own weight, which causes a great problem during exposure. When intermittently transferring the strip substrate along the longitudinal direction, aligning the photomask with respect to the strip substrate, or aligning the positions of the photomasks with each other, the strip substrate and the photomask do not contact each other. A gap is formed. However, at the time of alignment, since the alignment marks formed on both the strip-shaped substrate and the photomask or both of the photomasks need to be simultaneously read by one CCD camera, the above gap is within the depth of focus of the CCD camera. It needs to be a narrow street. Therefore, in the exposure section, a large tension in the longitudinal direction is applied to the strip-shaped substrate to reduce the warpage of the strip-shaped substrate due to its own weight. The change in size occurs compared to the absence. Since the alignment is performed in this state, it is difficult to precisely align the strip-shaped substrate and the photomask to provide a product of uniform quality.

Another problem in the conventional exposure apparatus is that foreign matter is attached. Foreign matter easily adheres to the strip-shaped substrate in a horizontal state. When exposure was carried out with foreign matter adhering to the exposure surface of the strip-shaped substrate, poor exposure occurred. In addition, foreign matters falling from the band-shaped substrate are likely to accumulate on the photomask disposed below the band-shaped substrate and the reflector of the light source. The foreign matter accumulated in this way has been a great cause of generating many poor exposure products.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problem, according to the present invention,

As an exposure apparatus for exposing the said strip | belt-shaped board | substrate for every area | region of predetermined length, conveying an strip | belt-shaped board intermittently along the longitudinal direction,

A supply reel in which a flexible strip-shaped substrate having an exposure surface with a photosensitive material on at least one surface thereof is wound in a cylindrical shape,

A wind reel provided at a predetermined distance from the supply reel to wind the strip-shaped substrate in a cylindrical shape;

A driving device for intermittently transferring the band-shaped substrate from the supply reel to the wind reel;

An exposure unit disposed between the supply reel and the wind reel, the exposure unit having at least one photomask that is proximate or in contact with the exposure surface;

A light source for transferring the pattern drawn on the photomask to the exposure surface of the band-shaped substrate,

Between the supply reel and the wind reel, a vertical path is formed in which the band-shaped substrate is in a vertical state,

An exposure apparatus is provided in which the exposure portion is provided in the vertical path.

The vertical path may be installed to extend vertically along the moving direction of the strip-shaped substrate.

In the said exposure part, a pair of said photomasks are arrange | positioned so that it may respectively oppose the said exposure surface of both surfaces of the said strip | belt-shaped board | substrate,

The pair of photomasks, so as to have a position alignment mark in a position opposite to each other,

Move at least one of the photomasks in the plane in the X, Y, and θ directions based on at least one CCD camera for reading the alignment mark and read data of the alignment mark by the CCD camera. It may be further provided with a moving mechanism for aligning the position.

In order to align the band-shaped substrate and the photomask, a mark for position alignment formed on the photomask and a mark for position alignment may be formed on the band-shaped substrate.

The side edge of the strip-shaped substrate may replace the alignment mark formed on the strip-shaped substrate.

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing one embodiment of an exposure apparatus according to the present invention. The exposure apparatus includes a base 18 and a housing 26 provided on the base 18. A supply reel 14 is provided at the right end of the base 18. The flexible strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 is wound by the supply reel 14 to the cylinder 12 shape. On the other hand, the wind reel 15 is provided at the left end of the base 18.

The feed drive roller 19 is provided between the supply reel 14 and the wind reel 15. The feed drive roller 19 intermittently pulls out the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 wound on the supply reel 14 by predetermined length. The strip-shaped substrate 1 drawn out from the supply reel 14 enters the vertical path via the guide rollers 16, 17, 27, and 28 and is in a vertical state. The area where the strip-shaped substrate 1 is in a vertical state becomes an exposure part. The strip-shaped substrate 1 which has passed through the exposure portion in the vertical state is wound in the shape of a cylinder 13 on the wind reel 15 via the guide rollers 29 and 30 and the transfer drive roller 19. The intermittent conveyance along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped substrate 1 is made by a conveyance drive roller 19 functioning as a drive device.

In the middle of the path | route of the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1, the work bench 20 used when joining the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1, etc., and the adhesive roller for removing the foreign material on the surface of the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 can also be provided. have. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a meandering prevention device for the strip-shaped substrate 1 to at least one of the supply reel 14, the wind reel 15, and the guide roller.

At least one surface of the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 becomes an exposure surface with a photosensitive material. The photomask unit U1 or U2 is disposed in the exposure portion at a position corresponding to the exposure surface. In the illustrated embodiment, exposed surfaces are formed on both surfaces. Therefore, the photomask unit U1 and the photomask unit U2 are arrange | positioned at both sides with the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 of a perpendicular state in the exposure part. The photomask unit U1 and the photomask unit U2 are provided with photomasks 21 and 22 so as to face the exposure surface of the strip-shaped substrate 1, respectively. For example, a pattern similar to an electric circuit is drawn on the photomasks 21 and 22, and a light source located inside the paper of FIG. 1 on the side opposite to the band-shaped substrate 1 of the photomasks 21 and 22. Reflectors 11 and 31 for introducing light from the light into the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 are arrange | positioned. The light 10 from the light source is irradiated onto the exposed surface of the strip-shaped substrate 1 via the photomasks 21 and 22 via the reflectors 11 and 31, so that the pattern is transferred onto the strip-shaped substrate 1. . It is preferable that the light 10 is parallel light, and it is preferable that the exposure part containing the reflecting mirror 11 is covered with the housing 26.

At least one of the photomask units U1 and U2 is attached with a mechanism (not shown) for bringing it into proximity and separation with respect to the other. The photomask 21 includes a frame-shaped base plate 6. The base plate 6 is attached with a frame 3 having a moving mechanism 5 which holds the photomasks 21 and 22 and moves the photomasks 21 and 22 in the X, Y and θ directions in the plane thereof. It is. At least one of the frames 3 is provided with a ring-shaped sealing member 4 on the outer circumferential portion of the surface facing the strip-shaped substrate 1. The ring-shaped sealing member 4 is a frame 3 including the strip-shaped substrate 1, the sealing member 4 and the photomask 21 when the photomask units U1 and U2 are brought close to each other during exposure. It is possible to form a closed space consisting of, 22). By reducing the inside of the sealed space, the band-shaped substrate 1 and the photomasks 21 and 22 can be brought into close contact with each other.

At least one of the photomask units U1 and U2 is provided with a CCD camera 7 which is used to align the photomasks 21 and 22 with each other or with each photomask and the strip-shaped substrate. The camera 7 can move in-plane parallel to the surface of the photomask in the X and Y directions by the moving mechanisms 8 and 9 attached to the frame 3.

The exposure method using the exposure apparatus which concerns on this invention is demonstrated, referring FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the relative positions of the band-shaped substrate 1 and the photomasks 21 and 22 which are in a vertical state in the vertical path in the exposure portion, as viewed from the arrow A direction in FIG. 1. The strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 is exposed for every area | region 25 of the predetermined length shown with the dashed-two dotted line. Therefore, the feed drive roller 19 intermittently conveys the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 by making the length P containing the length of the said area | region 25 into a pitch. While the strip substrate 1 is being transferred, the photomask units U1 and U2 are in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 1, and a predetermined gap is formed between the photomasks 21 and 22 and the strip substrate 1. It is.

When the transfer of the strip-shaped substrate 1 is stopped at a predetermined position, at least one of the photomask units U2 and U2 approaches the other. As a result, the photomasks 21 and 22 are ready to approach and align their positions with respect to the regions 25 of the opposing band-shaped substrates. Positioning marks 23 and 23 are provided at opposing positions of the photomasks 21 and 22, respectively. The alignment marks 23 and 23 are at positions away from the band-shaped substrate 1. The position of the alignment marks 23, 23 is read by the CCD camera 7, and at least one of the photomasks 21, 22 is moved in the X, Y, &thetas; directions based on the read data. Align the positions of (21 and 22).

The strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 has a mark 24 for alignment on it, and there is one which is not. In the case where the band-shaped substrate 1 is provided with the alignment marks 24, the alignment marks (not shown) of the photomasks 21 and 22 provided at positions opposite to the alignment marks 24, The position of the alignment mark 24 of the strip-shaped substrate 1 is simultaneously read by the CCD camera 7, and the alignment between the photomasks 21 and 22 and the strip-shaped substrate 1 is based on the read data. Just do

If the alignment marks 24 are not provided on the strip-shaped substrate 1, the side edges of the strip-shaped substrate 1 and the photomasks 21 and 22 provided at positions opposite to the strip-shaped substrate 1 The position of the mark (not shown) may be read by the CCD camera 7, and the positions of the strip-shaped substrate 1 and the photomasks 21 and 22 may be aligned based on both relative relationships. In this case, the side edge of the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 replaces the mark 24 for alignment.

When the alignment between the photomasks 21 and 22 and between the photomasks 21 and 22 and the strip substrate 1 is finished, the photo mask units U1 and U2 are brought closer to each other to include the strip substrate 1. A sealed space consisting of the frame 3, the sealing member 4 and the photomasks 21 and 22 is formed. By decompressing this sealed space with a pressure reduction device (not shown), the photomasks 21 and 22 and the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 can be brought into close contact with each other under reduced pressure.

Subsequently, the light 10 from the light source is irradiated onto the region 25 of the strip-shaped substrate 1 through the photomasks 21 and 22 via the reflecting mirrors 11 and 31. As a result, the patterns drawn on the photomasks 21 and 22 are transferred onto the region 25 of the band-shaped substrate 1.

In addition, the light 10 may be irradiated to both surfaces of the band-shaped substrate 1 at the same time, or may be irradiated one by one.

After the one-time exposure is completed, the pressure-reduced state of the closed space is released and the photomask units U1 and U2 are separated and a predetermined gap between the photomasks 21 and 22 and the band-shaped substrate 1 as shown in FIG. To form. Then, the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate 1 is intermittently transferred by length P, and the operation | movement which exposes is repeated.

On the other hand, in the illustrated embodiment, the strip-shaped substrate 1 is configured to move from the bottom up in the vertical path, but may be configured to move from the top down.

According to the exposure apparatus of the present invention, since the strip-shaped substrate is exposed on the vertical path in the vertical state, warpage of the strip-shaped substrate due to its own weight does not occur. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply a large tension to the strip-shaped substrate in order to reduce the warpage phenomenon, there is no problem associated with the size change as the strip-shaped substrate increases.

In addition, since the band-shaped substrate which is vertical in the vertical path can maintain sufficient planarity even with a slight tension, good parallelism with respect to the photomask can be obtained, and as a result, the alignment accuracy between the two is improved. .

In addition, foreign substances are less likely to adhere to the strip-shaped substrate in the vertical state than in the strip-shaped substrate in the horizontal state. In addition, since the reflecting mirrors of the photomask and the light source can be installed in a vertical state in manufacturing, exposure failure due to foreign matter adhering or accumulating on the strip-shaped substrate, the photomask and the reflector of the light source can be greatly reduced.

In addition, since the light from the light source emits light in the horizontal direction instead of the vertical direction, it is easy to secure a long optical path in the facility. When a long optical path is used, the light quality of parallel light is improved and the resolution is improved, so that the pattern drawn on the photomask can be faithfully transferred by the strip-shaped substrate.

Therefore, according to this invention, the quality and productivity which were much higher than before can be obtained regarding exposure of a strip | belt-shaped board | substrate.

Claims (5)

As an exposure apparatus for exposing the said strip | belt-shaped board | substrate for every area | region of predetermined length, conveying an strip | belt-shaped board intermittently along the longitudinal direction, A reel for supply, in which a flexible strip-shaped substrate having an exposure surface with a photosensitive material on at least one surface thereof is wound in a cylindrical shape, A wind reel provided at a predetermined distance from the supply reel to wind the strip-shaped substrate in a cylindrical shape, A driving device for intermittently transferring the band-shaped substrate from the supply reel to the wind reel; An exposure unit disposed between the supply reel and the wind reel, the exposure unit having at least one photomask that is proximate or in contact with the exposure surface; A light source for transferring the pattern drawn on the photomask to the exposure surface of the band-shaped substrate, Between the supply reel and the wind reel, a vertical path is formed in which the band-shaped substrate is in a vertical state, And the exposure unit is provided in the vertical path. The method of claim 1, And the vertical path is provided to extend vertically along the moving direction of the strip-shaped substrate. The method according to claim 1 or 2, In the said exposure part, the said photomask is arrange | positioned so that it may oppose the said exposure surface of both surfaces of the said strip | belt-shaped board | substrate, respectively, The pair of photomasks have a position alignment mark at a position opposite to each other, Move at least one of the photomasks in the X, Y, and θ directions in the plane based on at least one CCD camera for reading the alignment marks and read data of the alignment marks by the CCD camera And a moving mechanism for aligning the position thereof. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And an alignment mark formed on the photomask and an alignment mark capable of alignment of the position formed on the photomask so as to perform alignment of the strip substrate and the photomask. The method of claim 4, wherein The side edge of the said strip | belt-shaped board replaces the said alignment mark formed in the said strip | belt-shaped board | substrate, The exposure apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.

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